Chapter 4 - THE TRAITOR IN THE HOUSE
The lockdown of the Vale mansion transformed the luxurious estate into an impenetrable fortress. Armed guards clad in dark tactical gear patrolled the perimeter with trained security dogs, while high-definition surveillance cameras monitored every hallway, staircase, and courtyard.
For three days, Clara remained strictly within the boundaries of the nursery suite, rarely leaving Noah’s side. The infant was thriving under her care, gaining weight and smiling softly whenever Clara sang her gentle four-note lullaby.
Despite the heavy security, the atmosphere inside the house grew increasingly suffocating. Clara knew that somewhere within these walls, a killer was walking freely.
It was late on a Thursday evening when Clara heard a soft scraping sound near the nursery's private balcony.
Noah was fast asleep in his crib. Clara immediately froze, dropping the cloth she was using to fold baby clothes. She picked up a heavy brass candlestick from the side table and crept slowly toward the balcony doors, her heart hammering against her ribs.
The heavy velvet curtains fluttered slightly. Through the glass, she saw the silhouette of a tall figure wearing a dark rain jacket.
Clara didn't scream. She knew that if she screamed, the guards outside the main door would burst in, but the intruder might react violently before help arrived. Instead, she quietly backed toward the wall where the panic button was located.
Before she could press it, the balcony door opened smoothly, revealing Marcus, Adrian’s trusted chief security officer.
Clara gasped, lowering the candlestick slightly. "Marcus? What are you doing out there? The balcony is three stories up!"
Marcus stepped inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. Rain dripped from his black jacket onto the polished floor. His face was pale, his eyes wide with anxiety.
"Clara," Marcus whispered urgently, holding up a hand to keep her quiet. "Don't press that alarm. Listen to me very carefully. You are in danger."
Clara narrowed her eyes, keeping her distance. "What are you talking about?"
"Adrian thinks there's a traitor in his inner circle," Marcus said, taking a cautious step forward. "He's right. But he's looking at the wrong people. He's looking at his lieutenants. He doesn't suspect the real snake in his garden."
"Who?" Clara asked, her grip tightening on the heavy candlestick.
"You," Marcus said flatly.
Clara’s blood ran cold. "That’s absurd. I’m just a maid—"
"I know who you really are, Clara Bennett," Marcus interrupted, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I ran a deep check on your family history—a check I didn't show to Adrian. Your real name isn't Clara Bennett. It's Clara Vance. You are Dr. Julian Vance’s younger sister."
Clara felt the floor beneath her feet tilt. The secret she had worked so hard to hide was suddenly laid bare in the dim nursery light.
"Julian... Julian was my half-brother," Clara stammered, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "I haven't seen him in seven years! I had no idea he was involved in any of this until I saw his picture in that photograph!"
"It doesn't matter whether you were working with him or not," Marcus said harshly, stepping closer. "If Adrian finds out that the woman holding his son is the sister of the doctor who murdered his wife, he will execute you on the spot. He won't care about your explanations. He will rip you apart."
Clara backed away until her spine bumped against Noah's crib. "Why are you telling me this, Marcus? Why didn't you tell Adrian?"
Marcus reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Because I know the truth about what happened at Saint Jude’s that night. Julian Vance wasn't working alone. He was paid by Elena herself."
Clara stared at him in complete shock. "What?"
"Elena Vale hated Adrian," Marcus revealed, his eyes dark. "She hated his world, his violence, and his empire. She knew that if she gave birth to Adrian’s heir, the baby would be raised to become another monster. So she paid your brother to forge medical records, fake the baby's death, and smuggle the child out of the country."
Clara’s breath hitched in her throat. She looked down at Noah, sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the web of lies surrounding his birth.
"Elena died during childbirth due to unexpected bleeding," Marcus continued. "Julian panicked and fled, leaving behind a mess. But he left behind proof. Proof that Elena wanted this child hidden away forever."
"Why are you telling me this now?" Clara demanded, tears of fear and confusion welling in her eyes.
"Because Adrian is getting closer to the truth," Marcus said, slipping the envelope onto the table. "Inside that envelope are travel documents and passports for you and the baby. Tomorrow night at midnight, there will be a boat waiting at the south harbor. You take Noah and you leave the city. If you stay here, Adrian will discover who you are, and he will kill both of us."
Before Clara could answer, the heavy nursery doors swung open with a loud thud.
Adrian stood in the doorway, framed by the bright light of the corridor. His jacket was gone, his white shirt stained with dirt, and his right hand rested lightly on the hilt of a gun tucked into his belt.
May you like
His sharp blue eyes locked onto Marcus standing near the balcony, then shifted to Clara, who stood terrified beside the crib.
"Marcus," Adrian said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Care to explain why my chief security officer is entering my son's nursery through a third-story balcony?"
